The Toronto Maple Leafs have announced the hiring of Jim Hiller as the club’s new head coach on Wednesday morning. Hiller returns to the team after previously serving as an assistant with the club from 2015-19. Prior to his hiring, he served as head coach of the Los Angeles Kings from 2023-26.
The 57 year old replaces Craig Berube who was let go by new GM John Chayka in May following two seasons behind the bench. Across 3 seasons in LA, Hiller posted a 93-58-24 record before being let go by the club in March of this year.
“Jim is an experienced coach with a strong understanding of what it takes to win in today’s NHL,” Chayka said in a statement. “He has worked with successful teams throughout his career, connects well with players and brings a clear approach behind the bench. We believe he’s the right person to lead our team and help us reach our goals.”
“I’m incredibly excited for the opportunity to return to Toronto and lead the Maple Leafs,” Hiller said in a statement. “This is a special organization with great players, passionate fans and high expectations. I’m looking forward to getting to work with our players and staff and doing everything we can to help this team reach its full potential.”
Hiller is expected to be formally introduced to the media during a press conference on June 25th. With their coaching situation now in place, Toronto can turn their full attention to the upcoming NHL Entry Draft which is scheduled for June 26th and 27th at the KeyBank Center in Buffalo, NY.
Toronto currently holds the 1st overall pick in the draft and are widely assumed to be selecting Penn St. star Gavin McKenna. As previously reported, the club is also fielding offers on forward Matthew Knies, but have been non-committal about any kind of burning desire to move him.
After making a trade with Philadelphia on Tuesday, Toronto could look to tinker with their roster in the lead up to draft day further, as they hope to bounce back from a disappointing 2025-26 NHL campaign.
Photo: Mark6mauno. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license.